Month: June 2018

Also part of the crew will be Derrick Stafford, who was picked as a finals ref for the eighth time.

Golden State’s Andre Iguodala will not play in Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals, missing his sixth straight postseason contest with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Coach Steve Kerr remains optimistic the 2015 Finals MVP will play at some point in the series.

I wanted to sue Reuben, Ennis said under oath. It was a money scheme. It was all about money. I wanted to get him.

I really wanted to kill him, she added. I was so hurt.

Ennis said she became visibly upset the morning Foster said he wanted to break up with her and that she chased after him with threats as he tried to run away from her.

I told him I’m about to f–k yo s–t up, make sure you don’t have a job tomorrow, she said, as reported by The Athletic.

LeBron James could move up on a couple of NBA Finals individual lists in Game 2 but also fall backward in another.

James has 1,298 points in the finals and needs 20 to move ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,317) into second place behind Jerry West.

Cleveland’s superstar could also reach the top five in NBA Finals rebounds, as he enters nine behind Tom Heinsohn (473) for the No. 5 spot.

James is already the career leader in finals 3-pointers with 83, but Stephen Curry is closing fast and only two behind him.

The Splash Brothers could occupy two of the top three spots in that category by the end of the game. Klay Thompson (55) needs two 3-pointers to pass Robert Horry into third place.

The Warriors have held steady as a double-digit favorite for Sunday night’s game against Cleveland. Most books opened with the Warriors around a 12-point favorite, and the line hasn’t changed much since Golden State’s overtime victory Thursday night.

Caldwell immediately summoned Lions general manager Bob Quinn and president Rod Wood, and Johnson said he talked to both men that day and later had phone conversations with most of the Ford family that owns the team.

It had to surprise him, cause then he told me to wait around and he got the GM and stuff,Johnson said. But I knew there was going to be a problem once Rod talked to me and the first thing out of his mouth was like, ‘Did you earn all your bonus?’ I was like, ‘Oh, shit.’ I knew right then it was going to be a problem. I was like, ‘All right, I see how it’s going to be.’

Johnson retired as the Lions’ all-time leading receiver with 731 catches for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. Though he’s just 32 years old, he said doesn’t think he could play a game now even if he wanted to because of the toll the sport took on his body.

I don’t (think so), man, cause I get up from the bed sometimes in the morning, I’m just like, I shuffle across the ground cause I can’t bend my ankles,Johnson said. That was my problem when I played, just ankle’s always stuck or swelled up, I can’t flex them. If you can’t flex your ankles then you’re just running flat-footed all the time.

Put it all together, and there’s a reason he is one of the most feared perimeter defenders in the NBA. However, if we are talking about pure athleticism, Beckham is on a different level. This is a guy who likely could have become a professional track and field or soccer star if he had followed a different path. He can even boot field goals through the uprights from 40-plus yards out. Give the dude a cricket bat and he’d figure it out. Everything comes to him naturally, so Beckham is the choice here.

Vinnie Iyer: Leonard is bigger and has better mastered the craft of his sport, but when it comes down to athleticism, few players anywhere in the world can boast Beckham’s dazzle. One can easily see Beckham starring on the hardwood had he stuck with it, while it’s doubtful Leonard could be as good playing football.

So will Josh McCown, Sam Darnold, or Teddy Bridgewater be the Jets’ Week 1 starting quarterback in 2018?

The Jets beef up their depth for Todd Bowles’ 3-4 with a well-built tackle. Shepherd, a Canadian, was a raw riser late in the draft process and is an intriguing player to develop in their scheme.

Baker has great speed and quickness, which will allow him to be a complementary cover linebacker behind Kiko Alonso and Stephone Anthony. But he is too much of a liability against the run to see early-down work.

Christian looks the part of a nice, athletic tackle behind Trent Williams and Morgan Moses, but he needs to get stronger to be considered a starting option somewhere on the line.

New York used its free-agency money on cornerback Trumaine Johnson and added interior defensive linemen Nathan Shepherd, Folorunso Fatukasi and Henry Anderson during the draft weekend. Untouched was the outside linebacker position that has haunted the team for years. The good news for Jets fans is that the 2019 draft is loaded with talent at the position.

Since before Reggie McKenzie was even the general manager for the Oakland Raiders, they have had linebacker issues. While the squad did sign Tahir Whitehead this offseason, modern NFL defenses still involve two off-ball linebackers.